Startups & Venture Capital in Israel – H2 2025: Numbers, Trends & What Founders Need to Know
*** Note: this event will be held in HEBREW ONLY ***
Join us for an inside look at the state of the Israeli startup and venture capital ecosystem heading into H2 2025 — with one of the most respected legal and strategic voices in the industry, Dr. Ayal Shenhav, in a conversation with Assaf Harel.
In this session, Ayal and Assaf will break down the real numbers, the emerging trends, and the shifts every founder, investor, and executive should understand as they plan for 2025 and beyond. He will cover:
The funding landscape: what’s rising, what’s contracting, and why
Investor behavior and the new dynamics of early-stage and growth rounds
How global markets, regulation, and AI are reshaping Israel’s high-tech economy
What founders should prepare for in terms of deal structures, negotiation, and timing
This will be a candid, data-driven, high-signal conversation designed for builders.
About Dr. Ayal Shenhav
Dr. Ayal Shenhav is the Chairman and Head of the International and Hi-Tech Department at Goldfarb Gross Seligman, one of Israel’s largest law firms.
With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Shenhav is recognized as one of Israel’s leading attorneys. His practice includes representation of investment funds and investors, start-ups, multinational corporations, and high-net-worth individuals.
He represents many of Israel’s leading venture capital and private equity funds, advising them on fund formation, tax-efficient structuring, investments, and ongoing operations. Dr. Shenhav has been involved in numerous complex financing transactions, representing investors, companies, and founders. He has also played a key role in a wide range of M&A transactions, acting for target companies, acquiring entities, investors, and others. In addition, Dr. Shenhav is a renowned international tax expert, with significant expertise in the interplay between the Israeli and U.S. tax systems.
Goldfarb Gross Seligman, one of the largest law firms in Israel, delivers top-tier legal services at international standards. Tracing its history back over 90 years, the firm offers clients extensive experience in various fields of law. The firm is comprised of approximately 500 attorneys, including more than 200 partners. The firm provides personalized service tailored to each client’s particular needs, combined with the advantages that a large ‘one-stop-shop’ law firm with a global reach can offer. With expertise in a wide spectrum of legal services, the firm provides sophisticated legal solutions utilizing an innovative, multidisciplinary approach that integrates experts from a variety of fields into a seamless team. The firm is consistently ranked among the leading law firms in Israel in multiple practice areas by international and local ratings.
About Assaf Harel
Assaf Harel is a Partner focusing on multi-stage investment opportunities in Israeli-related companies.
Before joining Norwest, Assaf was a General Partner at Israel Growth Partners, a leading Israeli-based technology investment fund, where he focused on late-stage and growth opportunities in Enterprise SaaS companies.
Assaf holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with majors in finance, marketing and entrepreneurial management, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science, from Tel Aviv University.
Norwest’s Venture Capital Managing more than $15.5 billion in capital, NVP has invested in over 700 early to late-stage companies, with more than 250 currently active across enterprise, consumer and healthcare. With an invited-guest approach, Norwest provides entrepreneurs with specialized resources, expertise, and connections to achieve their vision, their way.